Brussels (Brussels Morning) On Monday, the Commissioner in charge of the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, will speak during the European Business Summit, where he will unveil suggestions on how to reconcile the green transition and growth.
The idea of driving a sustainable economy has been underpinned by the biodiversity and farm to fork strategies, despite growing criticism about the essence of the interlinked Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and uncertainty around whether the EU executive will withdraw its proposed reform.
Last Friday, the European Commission launched four public consultations that seek to assess technical issues under the European Green Deal.
The EU Emissions Trade System Directive, the Efforts Sharing Regulation, the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation, and finally, the CO2 standards for cars and vans Regulation are open for consultation until 5 February 2020.
Monday will also see Commissioner Thierry Breton will speak about ethics in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) at a European Parliament’s webinar. EU talks follow up on the Commission’s White Paper on AI, tabled on February 2020, and recently dubbed as a “good orientation” by the German politician Thomas Jarzombek, in charge of digital industry.
EU officials are working towards an AI “Made in Europe”, focusing on regulatory approaches to shape its development to support the EU economy and contribute to human development, such as increased precision in medical diagnosis or defense and safety.
The AI topic will be further debated by Research and Innovation Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, who will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on society during a conference on Friday.
On Tuesday, Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit will discuss social issues with representatives from the transport sector. The transport industry has been calling on the EU institutions not to encourage permanent job losses or salary cuts in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the regular weekly coordination meeting between the European Commissioners on Wednesday, Commission president von der Leyen will chair the Recovery and Resilience Task Force (RECOVER) and is likely to steer the debate according to the nearly agreed EU budget.
RECOVER was established in August 2020 to direct the implementation of the facility and coordinate the European Semester.
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides will also deliver a speech Wednesday at the European Cancer Summit, paving the way for the Commission’s cancer plan set to be unveiled within the coming weeks.
International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen will discuss how to manage asylum and migration while upholding solidarity and responsibility, during a conference Thursday organised by the German Presidency.
During the online gathering, representatives are likely to address the recent inquiry pushed by the EU’s Ombudsman trying to identify whether there was a failure from the Commission to ensure that Croatian authorities have complied with fundamental human rights while managing EU cross-border operations involving refugees and migrants.
On Friday, Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli will share thoughts about gender equality in times of pandemic during a virtual meeting organised by the German Presidency.
Dalli’s intervention will come shortly after the Commission’s delivery of better legal protection for the LGBTQ community but also to promote legislation on the mutual recognition of parenthood in cross-border situations.
